Baloise laid the foundations for its art collection at a time when it was by no means a matter of course for companies to distinguish themselves as art collectors. Since its beginnings in the late 1940s, it has remained true to the principle that the company's own works of art should be equally accessible to employees and visitors. Then, as now, groups of works are brought together to present a representative portrait of an artist. The Baloise presents its collection in foyers, corridors, meeting rooms and offices, and a concentrated selection in publicly accessible reception rooms at its corporate headquarters.
The collection is supplemented by purchases made by the Art Commission, which is made up of employees interested in art and an external specialist consultant. The actual interest of the Art Commission is directed towards the systematic development of a collection of works of high artistic quality that are supported by the medium of paper.
Purchases are made on an ongoing, proactive basis. We therefore request that artists and galleries refrain from sending works, documents, project concepts etc. to the Art Commission.
The extension of the original Baloise acquisition policy to include important Swiss and foreign contemporary artists is intended to send a clear signal in Basel's cultural and political situation. At a time when the actual "Basel artist" no longer exists (artists move to Basel from abroad; artists born in Basel often live in other Swiss cities or abroad), this opening up is appropriate. Due to the internationalization of art, since the 1960s there has no longer been a "Basel School" in the true sense of the word. This expansion can also be explained by the Baloise presence abroad. Interesting artists and groups of artists whose work has been brought into contact across national borders will find their way into the collection, and all artists and their works can be found here.